Before I went into journalism, I worked in advertising. I still do copywriting projects on a freelance basis. Here are some snippets:

For real estate client Morgan Crossing, I did a series of long-copy email blasts for their potential clients that promoted sustainable community living in their urban village. I also helped write signage for their three presentation centres and copy for their promotional videos.

Email blasts:

• 7 tips to reduce your car’s emissions
• 7 tips for a healthier you

I wrote most of the 2010 newsletter for Clancy’s Meat Co. My favourite piece was page seven, “10 tips for perfect grilling.”

• Full Clancy’s newsletter

The energy drink BC Bud was an interesting challenge: write like a stoner. Ironically, this took some effort.

We had a small budget but a lot of fun making crumpled up hand-made fliers (drawn in pen and photocopied) for where you could find the product. There were also how-to videos (for how to turn your can into a bong), a sad basic html website and an accompanying dealer-like Facebook page with purposeful  pronounced grammatical errors and typeos.

I worked on a series of YouTube videos for Dance Addicts wherein a 40-plus man (who lives with his mother) vlogs dance tips from his room. I also wrote and edited their web copy.

Spec ad that I made for Plenty of Fish: